THE MIRACLE WORKER @ CURTAIN CALL THEATRE, 2/26/10

by Michael Eck
Special to The Times Union
LATHAM – Annie Sullivan.
It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it.
Sullivan is, of course, the titular character of William Gibson’s classic stage play, “The Miracle Worker.”
Sullivan was also a real person, an ambitious young woman who accepted the challenge of educating a nearly feral deafblind girl, Helen Keller, when there was no accepted method to such a task.
As a dramatic character, Sullivan presents many challenges, not the least of which is being struck repeatedly by the raging Keller — and tackling her repeatedly in turn — while trying to tame and teach her with a hand alphabet.
Cathryn Salamone is playing the role for Curtain Call Theatre and she’s something of a miracle worker herself. I’ve never seen a better Annie Sullivan.
Salomone recently portrayed Jo March in Schenectady Civic Players’ musical production of “LIttle Women” and she was a revelation there as well.
A career path playing iconic 19th Century women is hers if she chooses it.
Salamone is surrounded by a capable supporting cast, including McKinley Fallon as Keller; and Patrick White, Pamela O’Connor and Elijah Dederick as other Keller family members.
In Gibson’s play, Sullivan must battle the Keller family for control of Helen, before she can begin teaching the girl. This tangle provides grist for the first act, while much of the second finds the two women creating a bond while stationed in a small garden house just away from the main house.
The play’s most famous scene occurs at the water pump, where Keller finally make the connection Sullivan has been striving for — matching words with the objects and actions they describe.
Too often the play is didactic — revolving around a manic Keller flying around the room, in the same way that Sullivan accuses the Keller family of revolving around their difficult daughter.
Salamone doesn’t let that happen to the play or her charge.
As she did with Miss March, Salamone balances her character’s elements — Sullivan’s inner strength, her overbearing righteousness and her deep-seated doubts and fears. But she also balances the play.
The rivalry between father and son, for example, as played by White and Dederick, doesn’t really find its proper intensity, yet each man plays fine scenes with Salamone.
And some of the show’s best moments are the difficult, yet tender exchanges between O’Connor, as Keller’s doting mother, and Salamone, who demands that Keller be treated as a normal child.
Fallon has an impressive far-off stare as Keller, and does a good job (despite flailing her arms a bit too wildly) of representing the little girl lost in her own soundless, sightless world.
Director Steve Fletcher wisely keeps this show mostly spare and quiet, which make the script’s flare-ups effective.
And, largely thanks to Salamone, the emotional pay-off at the end of the show is huge.
Salamone, a Hudson Valley Community College freshman, is — in case you haven’t figured it out yet — one to watch.

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Just once, I would really like to see a review of a show itself (not simply one or two sentences), rather than one or two characters. The character does NOT make a show, the ensemble does. Not saying this show may not have been good, but I’d like to know if it was good, as someone who is considering seeing it. I think if you want to do actor profiles, that’s different than reviewing a show. Just my opinion. Congrats to the cast & crew!

I have to disagree with the previous poster- I do not think this review was an “actor profile”. I think this review does strike a balance between an overview of the play itself alongside a critique of the actors. I haven’t seen the play (which I plan on doing) but from what I know about the play…the Sullivan character does anchor the show and as such, the actor portraying this character is a critical piece of the review. Mr. Eck has a strong enough reputation as an honest reviewer to let the public know when something does not settle right with him!